SCAM ALERT: Tricky Tax Forms

By Heather King, Kendra Jones&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Mon 5:46 AM, Feb 24, 2014&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Mon 5:54 AM, Feb 24, 2014

Scammers are using a real tax form to try to trick you out of your money.

Recently, a man in our state received an email with a tax form from the IRS, Form W-2G, which is used to report gambling winnings. The form was pre-filled with the man's name and address and also showed he'd won $2.5 million in a lottery. The man received a call later informing him the money was on it's way and to be prepared to pay $485 in cash to cover the fee for having the lottery check delivered to his home. When the man delivering the lottery winnings would not accompany the man to the bank to deposit the funds, the man kept his $485 and reported the fraud.

Asking someone to pay a fee to collect a prize is illegal, and it's a key red flag of a scam.

Remember, you can report scams like this one to the attorney general's consumer protection division by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or filing a complaint online at www.ncdoj.gov.

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